“No one knows why [Lautenberg] did it,” said one person involved in the nomination process. “Everyone thinks it’s all about 2014 and Frank making sure he has Chuck in his corner."...

People involved in the judicial-nomination process in New Jersey told The Post they believe the surprise nomination was a naked political maneuver by the 87-year-old Lautenberg to stay in Schumer’s good graces. Lautenberg is worried that party elders will try to push him out of his beloved Senate seat because of his advanced age — something that Schumer, one of the party’s top opinion makers and fund-raisers, would be able to stop.

“McNulty came out of left field,” said another source involved in the Jersey judicial politics. “McNulty’s not a dumb guy, but people were just, like, ‘How’d that happen?’ ”

I need a punchline for this post. What do you think is funnier? An 87-year-old is worried about "party elders"?! Or: Left field... isn't that where Obama goes to get all his judges?

Schumer has a brother-in-law named Kevin McNulty. That's surprising. I, for one, will not make any obvious jokes about Lautenberg being the most Dependable candidate. Such humor is not funny unless it's aimed at Republicans.

I am not sure why anyone is the least bit surprised here. Schumer is one of the most powerful members of the Senate, and was one of the big reasons that a lot of people weren't all that unhappy with Harry Reid being reelected, and, thus, keeping his post as majority leader. Along with his power, he is also one of the nastiest Dems in the Senate. But, he is also one of the brightest, in a body known for just the opposite. And, that is one of the reasons that he has that power - he is one of the few Congressional Dems who can coherently debate for his side's policies.

I beg your pardon! This brother-in-law category is exempted from wrongdoing inside the Democrat party. Hugh Rodham collected $400,000 in fees from clients who were pardoned by Slick Willie and Tony Rodham got another $100,000 for pardons granted during President Clinton's last days in office.

As I recall, Hillary didn't get a single campaign question related to her brothers' ethics. Where is Marc Rich when you need him?

"People involved in the judicial-nomination process in New Jersey told The Post they believe the surprise nomination was a naked political maneuver by the 87-year-old Lautenberg to stay in Schumer’s good graces."

How does this qualify as a "surprise?"

Did they think Lautenberg might actually nominate someone qualified, or was it that Lautenberg's move was so brazenly craven by even New Jersey's impossible to detect standards?

Or was it that the least qualified ever, affirmative-action beneficiary taking up space in the presidency actually went along with the play, despite all the notoriety associated with the Blagovich conviction?

Elder Abuse also includes mental cruelty and psychological abuse. If someone humiliates, insults, frightens, threatens, ignores or treats an older person like a child, this is mental cruelty. Threatening to put an older person in a nursing home can be a form of psychological abuse. Removal of decision making power when the elderly person is still competent to make his/her own decisions is also considered to be psychological abuse.

If you look at his bio, he seems to be a pretty decent candidate for a nomination. He seems like a lawyer of some accomplishment, and not much of a party hack. Maybe it's good that someone else in the family is the politician.

If the president can openly and without fear of consequence steal billions - hell, trillions - of dollars of taxpayers' money and give it to his friends and supporters in order to purchase their continued friendship and support, then, in the name of co-equal branches of government, Congress ought to be able to enrich itself and its friends as it sees fit, too.

I have been experiencing some issues loading your page though. I am using Chrome and 4 out of 4 times I have to hit reload at least one time, sometimes multiple times, to load your page. Anyone else having problems.

I worked very closely with Kevin McNulty at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark, NJ, in the 1990s. He is one of the finest, brightest, fairest-minded, most intellectually curious, and least partisan people I have ever known. This nomination is fantastic news for the federal judiciary. I am learning about this for the first time here, and am thrilled.

He also plays a mean guitar. We were in the US Attorney's Office band together.

A political hack gets appointed head of the Department of Weights and Measures in a big city. At the announcement a reporter asks the appointee, "Hey Charlie, how many ounces in a pound?" Charlie answers, "Hey, give a guy time to learn his job!"

I worked very closely with Kevin McNulty at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark, NJ, in the 1990s. He is one of the finest, brightest, fairest-minded, most intellectually curious, and least partisan people I have ever known. This nomination is fantastic news for the federal judiciary. I am learning about this for the first time here, and am thrilled.

Hagar:

Kevin McNulty may be good as gold; being now associated with Schumer and Lautenberg, it is going to be hard to convince people of that.

No one gets a judgeship without connections. There's always a political maneuver. This one stands out only because of its nakedness.

McNulty must know the game and also know there are better ways to play it.

"People involved in the judicial-nomination process in New Jersey told The Post they believe the surprise nomination was a naked political maneuver by the 87-year-old Lautenberg to stay in Schumer’s good graces."

Lovely people, these Democrats.

Because we all know what America is in need of is Senators in their 90's!

Like New Jersey today would even contemplate reelecting an 88 year old Senator who was shamelessly selected to replace Bob Torricelli, a rather suspect character, by Democractic chicanery of the NJ Election laws. This is a living poster of the only Democratic Party principle, POWER.

They live to seek it, they gather it like hoarders, and like hoarders they seek only to further their cause (or affliction)by using that POWER to get more POWER. Their ideas and plots are merely cover for what drives them, POWER. Those who seek to limit them or deny them, are enemies and villians, much like hoarders believe those attempting to help are trying to steal or take their worth.

Lautenberg US Senate 2012. Cool. He might give Strom Thurmond a run for the money in eldest living US Senator. Sounds like Schumer might have committed Democratic Party Political Fraud with this one.

"Sure Frank, I will back you for your election next year, but see my Brother In Law is seeking new employment and I might need some help....."

Chris Rock recently said the he, like many others, was a little disappointed in the President. But, he realized that re-election to a second term required the President to keep the agressive stuff on the back burner. "You can’t really do your gangsta sh— until your second term. …"

As ready as I am to be easily outraged by any Obama appointment, it may well be that appointees picked by this administration based on nepotism will end up being better than appointees picked based on ideology.

One thing that puzzles me, though, you know that any brother-in-law of Chuck Schumer has to hate his guts, doesn't Chuck know?